Alternate ROOTS is a network of more than five hundred artists and cultural workers operating at the intersection of arts and activism, who make art by, for, about, and together with their communities in the South. The people in our network use art and culture as an entry point, a doorway for community empowerment around issues of access, equity, and empowerment to address long-term issues of inequality in economically fragile urban and rural communities, touching the lives of people who have been cast as little more than walk-on roles in their own lives. Your contribution will directly support individual artists who are working in communities both rural and urban in 14 Southern states, and Washington D.C..
Mission Statement
Alternate ROOTS is an organization based in the Southern USA whose mission is to support the creation and presentation of original art, in all its forms, which is rooted in a particular community of place, tradition or spirit. As a coalition of cultural workers we strive to be allies in the elimination of all forms of oppression. ROOTS is committed to social and economic justice and the protection of the natural world and addresses these concerns through its programs and services.
Activities and Programs
Partners in Action is a program that focuses on fostering strategic partnerships between Alternate ROOTS and cultural organizing projects to support efforts of cultural equity and social justice. By providing technical assistance, resource mapping, staff support, financial aid, and connection to a larger network, Partners in Action offers artists and community partners the vital support needed to do their work with strategy and consistency. Artistic Assistance provides direct support to individual artists and cultural workers in the South to enhance their skills, create unique projects, and build community. The program has two funding areas: Professional Development, and Project Development. ROOTS Week Annual Meeting & Artists’ Retreat is a one-of-a-kind gathering – six days of performances, art and organizing workshops, visual art exhibitions, late-night cabarets, and ROOTS’ annual business meeting, in a retreat-like setting in the mountains of North Carolina. Artists, cultural organizers, and their families come from across the South (and beyond!), joining an ever-growing, ever-changing network of people committed to building a just world through arts, community, and activism. ROOTS Weekends are a condensed version of ROOTS Week. These three-day convenings bring artists, activists, and cultural organizers together to build community and share work through workshops, dialogues, visual arts, and performances.
Population
The ROOTS Region covers the Southern area of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Reviews
These are my people! I have been welcomed into a community of kick ass artists and organizers. I am deeply grateful.
These are my people. The way they mindfully and bravely support folks of all ages is the true meaning of #resistance.
Art. Community. Activism. Get hip and get familiar with Alternate ROOTS! We’re about a movement, not a moment!